The present invention relates to sensors, and more particularly to sensors for measurements of electric potentials and electric fields.
With an electric field sensor it is possible to measure the true quantitative electric potential and electrostatic field emanating from, passing through, and around objects, or in free space. A quasi-static electric field generator that safely “illuminates” large volumes with a uniform electrostatic field can be used with an electric field sensor to allow for the measurement of the true metric of electrostatic fields emanating from, passing through, or around objects and volumes. The electric field sensor and quasi-static electric field generator can be used together to provide quantitative metrics of the electrostatic potential, the electrostatic field strength, the spatial direction of the electrostatic field, and the spatial components of the electrostatic field.
However, while some prior work has claimed to measure electrostatic fields, these prior methods do not necessarily provide measurements of the true electrostatic field. Inaccuracies in the measurement arise due to the lack in attention to details describing the construction of the sensor, the components used, and the supporting structure. For example, FIG. 1 illustrates two images 100 and 103 of electrostatic potential distortions around a 26 AWG cable 102 with a 0.256 cm outer jacket diameter and a LM324 Operational Amplifier 104 with a 10 millimeter by 20 millimeter top surface. Image 100 shows the actual electrostatic potential distortion around the cable 102 carrying no current. As seen in image 100, the electrostatic potential distortions have extremely large spatial distributions compared to the cable 102 diameter, and the electrostatic potential ranges from negative 3 volts in the lightest areas to negative 2 voltage in the darkest areas. To generate image 103 the LM324 Operational Amplifier 105 was oriented normal to the reference electric field. As seen in image 103, the electrostatic potential distortions have extremely large spatial distributions compared to the LM324 Operational Amplifier 105 dimensions, and the electrostatic potential ranges from negative 4 volts in the lightest areas to negative 3 voltage in the darkest areas. Images 100 and 103 show that when placed in a uniform electric field, a conducting cable and integrated circuit both will dramatically disturb the previously uniform electrical potential. The potential changes due to the objects are not uniform, where the presence of the cable increases the potential and the presence of the integrated circuit can decrease the potential. These electrostatic distortions prohibit the measurement of the true electric potential and true electrostatic field, such that prior measurement configuration using these conducting cables and integrated circuits (or other similar types of components) have yielded erroneous results and have not provided measurements of the true electrostatic field.